Tally-sheet.



J. B. REDFIELD.-

TALLY SHEET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914.

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Patented Apr. 22,1919.

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v JOSIAH B. REDFIELD, OF'OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

TALLY-SHEET.

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the votes oastfor -various candidates for ofiice. It is theobject-of myinvention to provide for the above purpose a tally-sheet having spacesfor receiving tally-marks, the

spaces being arranged so as to minimize the possibility of errors eitherin the making or countin of the tally-marks, and having also meanorpreventing fraudulent alteration of the record after the tallying andcounting of the votes has been completed.

In the accompanying drawing there is illustrated a portion of atally-sheet embodying my invention, repetitional portions of the sheetbeing broken away.

In carrying out my invention the paper employed for making thetally-sheet is preferably a safety paper such as is used for bank-checksand the like, the same being coated or glazed or impregnated withchemical substances, or printed over in neutral tints with anengraveddesign soas to retain evidences of any erasures 'or alterationsof inscriptions which have once been made thereon.

In the arrangement shown in the drawing there is provided along theupper edge of the sheet a suitable space 1 bounded by a horizontal lineor lines 2 at the bottom thereof, said space being employed for theprinting of a suitable heading or title, or for instructions as to theus of the sheet, or for such other purposes as may be desired. Below theline 2 is a second line or lines 3, and at intervals between the lines 2and 3 are vertical lines which define the limits of spaces for thecolumn-designations Name of ofiice, Names of persons voted for, andTotal. At the left of the sheet, under the column designation Name ofoffice, there isa vertical space i bounded at the right by a verticalline or lines 5. All of the sheet below the line 3 and to the right ofthe line 5 is traversed by parallel horizontal lines which divide thesheet into horizontal verticallyalternating ortions 6 and 7. The portions '3 are eft blank throughout and the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Apr. as, rare.

' Application filed July s, 1914, Serial No. 848,972.

vertical depth of the said portions is preferably not less than thecorresponding depth of the portions 6, so that the blank spaces 7 willclearly separate and difierentiate from each other the several portions6. At the left ends of each of the portions 6 are placedline-denominators, the same preferably consisting of characters of someconventionally arranged series, such as the alphabetical letters A, B,C, shown in the drawing. At the right of said line-dei1ominatorcharacters, under the column-designation Names of persons voted for, arename-spaces 8 in which are written the names of persons for whom voteshave been cast for the oflice of filly-maths that may be inscribed inthe,

tally-spaces from the left-hand end of the row up to and including spacein which the numeral is placed. At the right of the tallyspaces theline-denon'iinator characters A, B, etc. are repeated, and at theextreme right of the sheet, under the column-designation Total flarespaceslO for writing in the total number of votes cast for each of theseveral candidates.

'In the use of the tally-sheet the same is first prepared by placingthereon, in the spaces provided for such purpose, the names of thepersons for whom votes have been cast, and the name of the ofiice forwhich said persons are candidates. As the ballots are inspected and thenames of the persons voted for are called out by the inspectors, thetally-man, or person in charge of the tallysheet, inscribes thetally-marks on the sheet in the appropriate spaces following therespective names. The ordinary system of tally-marks is employed, thesame consisting of groups of four approximately vertical lines joined bya fifth line extending diagonally. One of the tally-spaces 9 is used foreach group of tally-marks, the marking being commenced, of course, inthe first or lefthand space, and the marks being placed in the blank orunshaded parts of the spaces, as represented in the drawing. When thetallying is completed the total number of marks following each namewritten by nu inerals in the next succeeding unused tallyspace, saidnumerals, as shown. The total number of tally-marks following each nameis also written out in full, as shown, in the space 10 under thecolumn-designation Total.

The advantages of the tally-sheet provided by my invention will beobvious. When used as described it will be exceedingly difficult if notimpossible to alter the marking of the sheet after the same has beencompleted, without the same bearing evi dence of such alteration. Owingto the com.- plete separation of the rows of tally-spaces by thedividing-spaces 7, there is little chance of confusion in entering thetally-marks, the probability of such marks being inscribed in a rowother than that intended being reduced to a minimum. The facility withwhich a row of the tally-spaces may be followed is further'increased bythe use of the ,-linedemoninatorcharacters at each end of the respectivelines or rows of tally-spaces, The tally-man, when noting the name atthe left of the row, may at the same time ob serve the line-denominatorcharacter and, if'

the tally-spaces have been filled to a point near the right-hand side ofthe sheet, the following of the line or row may be verified by observingthat the right-hand line-denominator is the same as that of the lineintended to be followed.

The correct inscription of the tally-marks is also facilitated by thealternating arrangement of the shaded areas of the tally-spaces. Suchshaded areas practically compel the making of the tally-marks in theblank or unshaded portions of the spaces, so that each succeeding area011 which the marks are inscribed is vertically offset or displaced fromthose adjoining it. This tends to prevent the Copies of this patent maybe obtained for and a circular line 11 is drawn around possibility of atally-mark being inscribed so as to extend into an adjoining tallyspaeeand thus being confused with or mistaken for a mark properly belongingin such space. The numerals placed in the shaded areas of thetally-spaces facilitate accurate counting of the tally-marks, by showingdirectly the total number of marks in any line or row when the spaceshave been filled up to any vertical division-line of the row.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: 1 r w j h 1. A tally-sheet havingxprinted thereonlines forming horizontal single rows of tallyspaces, each tally-spacehaving a shaded portion, the successive tally-spaces in each row havingthe shaded portions thereof arranged alternately at the tops and bottomsof the and the successive shaded portions of spaces, each row numberedserially in arithmetical progression- 2. A tally-sheet having printedthereon lines forming horizontal single rows of rectangular tally-spacesand continuous blank dividing-spaces interposed between each of theadjacent rows of tally-spaces, each row of tally-spaces having therein aplurality of like line-denominator characters, the tallyspaces of eachrow having shaded portions arranged alternately at the tops and bottomsof the successive spaces, and the successive tallyspaces of each rownumbered serially in arithmetical. progression.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

JOE B. RE'DFIELD.

Witnesses:

D. O, BARNELL, G. R. GOUCHER.

five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington,I). 0.

